And that just ruined the value of NAO wings. Wings are for those who fly in airplanes. If they want to give drone guys and insignia that’s fine. But not existing wings for those who fly.
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Spy vs Ready Room (1 v Many)
- Thread starter HeyJoe
- Start date
Spies like us...two of the Air Wing Intel Os (2 man rule in effect*) taking a breather on Sara awaiting transport back to JFK after planning session between Strike Leads during Desert Storm. We had been going nonstop since the Storm kicked off so they were tired puppies (obviously). I was along with them (with camera of course) as the Battle Force Red Sea Recon Coordinator and Strike Lead.
* Pretty sure the 2 man rule requires at least one person to be awake? But I was watching over them...
That opens the door for the whole medal controversy ignited by USAF seeking for inducement for their rates pilots to take....
And what about awards???
USAF: USAF gets their Drone Medal at last
First try at “Nintendo” medal rejected by OSD: Oops!
Don't have a problem with it, other than the name, as long as it isn't equal to or greater than existing combat awards like their first one was.
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These guys went through a full flight syllabus, had to pass NATOPS check rides, became full-up aircrew. In a different thread, I mentioned how we had a double anchor flunk out of the same training pipeline (and single anchors in the left seat). Their 200 hours include a lot of green ink. No “seat meat” time looking out a window. Most went on to log 700+ hours, involving some very complex ops.
They earned their wings. We read the regs, and it is what they qualified for. I’d agree that some other set of wings would be better, they did far more than what the NAO requires.
nodropinufaka
Well-Known Member
i don’t see a problem with drone awards. If you’re smoking dudes with missiles it’s gonna have some effect on you even if you did it from a box thousands of miles away. Should recognize them.
This just makes it worse. They were never in danger so the green ink is BS.
In both my VP squadrons, the NAO wannabes had to perform actual functions and pass the Observer NATOPS check. We required them to get qualified for aerial photography and safety of flight radar operations. When the flew with us, they didn’t just sit in the seat.
Having your AIO take the pictures and participate in the rigging/intelligence collection made a much better product.
Plus they got to do all the fun stuff plane captain duties, plugs & covers before/after the flight, refueling, etc.
No problem with drone awards but they are not / should not the same as combat awards for people who were actually in danger.
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My brother was the ATO on JFK during Desert Shield/Storm. If you CODed on or off JFK, you ran into him.
I was on TR and was OOD when we went screaming by JFK at 35 knots a couple of nights before the start of war. JFK was doing 20 or so for flight ops in the opposite direction I had the signalmen flash her asking who was OOD. My brother. I had them send "Little brother here, sorry about your car....just kidding".
When you guys went hustling out of Norfolk he and his wife were on vacation. He flew home immediately to Norfolk to get on the ship. His wife a few days later. They had taken his RX-7 to the airport and she couldn't drive a stick so I had to retrieve her and the car.
The signalmen only got to "car" before we were too far away and my brother never got the "just kidding". The signalmen were apologetic but my immediate thought was "this should be interesting". Both his wife and I got letters for months asking what happened to his beloved RX-7. She kept responding "what are you talking about" and he thought she just didn't want to tell him bad news. This was reinforced by the fact I just kept ignoring his question in my letters to him. This went on for about 3 months until right before JFK left for home when he talked the JFK CO into sending a personal message to TR CO. "My LT xxxx wants to know from your LT xxxx what happened to his car?". The CO showed me the message during one of my OOD watches and Snort (who had just arrived as our Gator from his command tour) thought it was hilarious and tried to convince the CO to extend it out longer. My CO thought it was hilarious too but had sympathy for my brother and sent "Last part of OOD-OOD light signal was never exchanged due to distance. Message should have ended just kidding".
Every bridge watch I stood for 3 months the signalmen would ask me what the latest was. Like Snort, they thought it should have been dragged out longer too.
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Wow, they went the total opposite direction. That medal is below MOVSM?!? Come on, they are killing people and that's worth less than picking up trash on the side of the road or helping out at a church for a tour?!
This is barely news; 209 has been at Whidbey for like seven years now.
The one det I spent bouncing at Oceana, we ended up trying to vector a law enforcement helo on some asshole that was lasing everybody in the pattern. Got to give a statement to NCIS after landing, too. Dunno if they ever got the schmuck.
If I were SECDEF for a day, I would shitcan that medal in a heartbeat, along with a major overhaul of awards in general . . .
Don't worry.......that Fentress assh*le has been on the loose at least since 2012. Doesn't matter that we have generated weapons quality coords many times over. I was actually part of what became a sting that arrested a guy......and then there was another guy....and another.....and another. Much like ISIS. I'm surprised Coupeville isn't on the same level of harassment tech. Maybe they are, and I also have no useful business in their pattern, so perhaps I don't notice them on my route to the initial.
It seems they use lawyers instead . . . and the WA State AG. ?
hah I dont know which tactic is more useless, but I suppose that one doesn't put you in jail.
I was probably giving you the ride back to JFK!!